 Department of Energy Richland Operations Office |
Environmental Assessment |
DOE/EA-1210
Department of Energy Richland Operations Office |
Environmental Assessment |
Table of Contents
Acronyms and Abbreviations
Metric Conversion Chart
Numerical (Scientific or Exponential) Notation
Preface
1.0 Purpose and Need for Agency Action
2.0 Proposed Action
3.0 Alternatives to the Proposed Action
5.0 Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action
6.0 Permits and Regulatory Requirements
8.0 References
Appendix A
Appendix
B
Appendix C
Appendix
D
Acronyms and Abbreviations
| ALARA | as low as reasonably achievable |
| ANL-W | Argonne National Laboratory-West |
| BWR | boiling water reactor |
| CFR | Code of Federal Regulations |
| CEDE | committed effective dose equivalent |
| CEQ | Council on Environmental Quality |
| Ci | Curie (unit of radioactivity) |
| CLWR | Commercial Light Water Reactor |
| DOE | U.S. Department of Energy |
| DOT | U.S. Department of Transportation |
| EA | environmental assessment |
| EDE | effective dose equivalent |
| EFPD | effective full power days |
| EIS | Environmental Impact Statement |
| FFTF | Fast Flux Test Facility |
| FONSI | Finding of No Significant Impact |
| FR | Federal Register |
| FSAR | Final Safety Analysis Report |
| HCRL | Hanford Cultural Resources Laboratory |
| HFEF | Hot Fuels Examination Facility |
| ICRP | International Commission on Radiological Protection |
| INEEL | Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory |
| kW | kilowatt |
| LCF | latent cancer fatality |
| LTA | lead test assembly |
| LWR | light water reactor |
| MEI | maximally exposed individual |
| MTF | Memorandum-to-File |
| MWe | megawatt (electric) |
| NDE | nondestructive examination |
| NEPA | National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 |
| NRC | U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission |
| NTS | Nevada Test Site |
| ORR | Oak Ridge Reservation |
| PIE | post-irradiation examination |
| PWR | pressurized water reactor |
| R&D | research and development |
| RCRA | Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 |
| rem | radiation equivalent man (unit of radiation dose equivalent) |
| Sv | Sievert (unit of radiation dose equivalent) |
| TPBAR | tritium-producing burnable absorber rod |
| TSR PEIS | (DOE) Programmatic EIS for Tritium Supply and Recycling |
| TVA | Tennessee Valley Authority |
| WAC | Washington Administrative Code |
| WBN | Watts Bar Nuclear Plant |
| WDFW | State of Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife |
Metric Conversion Chart
| If you know | Multiply by | To get |
| Length | ||
| centimeters | 0.394 | inches |
| meters | 3.281 | feet |
| square meters | 10.764 | square feet |
| kilometers | 0.621 | miles |
| Area | ||
| hectares | 2.471 | acres |
| square kilometers | 0.386 | square miles |
| Mass (weight) | ||
| kilograms | 2.205 | pounds |
| Volume | ||
| liters | 0.264 | gallons |
| cubic meters | 35.315 | cubic feet |
| Radiological Units | ||
| disintegrations per second | 2.7 x 10-11 | Curies |
| Sieverts | 100 | rem |
From the CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, Robert C. Weast, Ph.D., 70th Ed., 1989-1990, CRC Press, Inc., Boca Raton, Florida.
And
Eckerman, K. F., A. B. Wolbarst, and A. C. B. Richardson. 1988. Limiting Values of Radionuclide Intake and Air Concentration and Dose Conversion Factors for Inhalation, Submersion, and Ingestion. Federal Guidance Report No. 11, EPA/520/1-88-020, Office of Radiation Programs, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C.
Numerical (Scientific or Exponential) Notation
Numbers that are very small or very large are often expressed in scientific or exponential notation as a matter of convenience. For example, the number 0.000034 may be expressed as 3.4 x 10-5 or 3.4E-05 and 65,000 may be expressed as 6.5 x 104 or 6.5E+04. Multiples or sub-multiples of the basic units are also used. A partial list of multiples and sub-multiples follows:
| Name | Symbol | Value Multiplied by: | ||
| atto | a | 0.000000000000000001 | or 1 x 10-18 | or 1E-18 |
| femto | f | 0.000000000000001 | or 1 x 10-15 | or 1E-15 |
| pico | p | 0.000000000001 | or 1 x 10-12 | or 1E-12 |
| nano | n | 0.000000001 | or 1 x 10-9 | or 1E-09 |
| micro | µ | 0.000001 | or 1 x 10-6 | or 1E-06 |
| milli | m | 0.001 | or 1 x 10-3 | or 1E-03 |
| kilo | k | 1,000 | or 1 x 103 | or 1E+03 |
| mega | M | 1,000,000 | or 1 x 106 | or 1E+06 |
| giga | G | 1,000,000,000 | or 1 x 109 | or 1E+09 |
| tera | T | 1,000,000,000,000 | or 1 x 1012 | or 1E+12 |
The following symbols are occasionally used in conjunction with numerical expressions:
In this environmental assessment, numerical values that are less than 0.001 or greater than 9999 are generally expressed in exponential notation.
This environmental assessment (EA) has been prepared to assess potential environmental impacts associated with a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Proposed Action to conduct a lead test assembly (LTA) program to confirm the viability of using a commercial light water reactor (CLWR) to produce tritium. The Proposed Action described in this EA supports DOEs Record of Decision for the Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for Tritium Supply and Recycling (TSR PEIS). This EA tiers from the TSR PEIS and covers only those activities necessary to conduct tests involving irradiation of tritium-producing burnable absorber rods (TPBARs) in a CLWR and post-irradiation examination (PIE) of the TPBARs. The Proposed Action would involve preparation and analysis activities at DOE facilities and irradiation of the TPBARs at a commercial nuclear power reactor. This confirmatory test draws on over 10 years of DOE research and development devoted to the safe and efficient production of tritium in CLWRs.
If the Proposed Action is found to be a major federal action that significantly affects the quality of the human environment, an environmental impact statement will be prepared. If the Proposed Action is not found to constitute a major federal action that significantly affects the quality of the environment, a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) will be issued and the action will proceed. Criteria used to evaluate the significance can be found in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) at 40 CFR 1508.27.
This EA was prepared in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 (as amended), the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations for Implementing the Procedural Provisions of NEPA (40 CFR 1500-1508), and the U.S. Department of Energy NEPA regulations (10 CFR 1021). The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is participating with the DOE as a cooperating agency in the preparation of this EA, in accordance with its established procedures for implementing NEPA requirements. The following is a description of each section of this environmental assessment:
1.0 Purpose and Need for Agency Action provides a brief statement and background information concerning the issue the DOE is addressing with the Proposed Action.
2.0 Proposed Action contains a description of the Proposed Action.
3.0 Alternatives to the Proposed Action contains a description of alternative actions that meet DOEs defined purpose and need, as well as a description of a no-action alternative.
4.0 Affected Environment provides a brief description of the sites and associated environment in which the Proposed Action would occur.
5.0 Environmental Impacts identifies and describes the range of environmental impacts, beneficial and adverse, that might occur if the Proposed Action were implemented. Impacts of alternatives are also briefly discussed.
6.0 Permits and Regulatory Requirements identifies and describes regulatory requirements and permits that are applicable to the Proposed Action.
7.0 Agencies and Organizations Consulted identifies outside parties that were or will be contacted as part of the process of preparing the environmental documentation .
